Jamaica Biofuels Report - Ministry of Energy

Jamaica Fishermen CooperativeUnionJamaica Manufacturers’AssociationJamaica Millennium Motoring ClubJamaica Sugar Cane Growers’AssociationJamaica Teachers’ AssociationJamaica Used Car DealersAssociationJamaica Yacht Club (and MontegoBay Yacht Club, Negril Yacht Club,Jamaica Yachting Association, etc.)Press Association of JamaicaSugar Industry AssociationSugar Manufacturers’ Corporationof JamaicaSugar Producers’ Federation ofJamaica6. Plan of WorkThe activities of the Jamaica biofuels education and outreach campaign shall be built around thefollowing principles, which were identified as critical in the needs assessment meetings as well as byprevious Winrock experience with education and outreach campaigns:Early and on-going stakeholder engagementRegular monitoring and evaluationSkills building and development of human capacityEngaging the public in the campaign early is a concept that was practiced to an extent in the previousbiofuels education and outreach campaign. Meetings were held to get stakeholder feedback and ahotline was set up for anyone with questions or concerns to call to find answers. However, awarenessfaded after time as the campaigns’ activities were reduced. This allowed opportunity for the spread ofmisinformation.Similarly, those involved in the education and awareness campaign in the Philippines stressed theimportance of early and ongoing public engagement. Rex Demafelis explained that while it may beeasier at the start of a biofuels policy to not fully engage the public, it pays off it the long run to knowthe public concerns and be able to respond to them – this builds confidence both among the public andamong agencies involved in the biofuels industry. He said that if he were to do one thing differently itwould be to conduct a feasibility and viability study of biofuels production at the very beginning of thecampaign because they received many questions that those studies would have been able to answerright at the beginning.66